Tag Archives: picture

June 5, 2012 · 12:33 pm

Please Remember

The picture on the left was circulating in my Facebook world today. When I saw it, I shared it immediately. These five reminders are just so beautifully simple. I would like to go to Metropolis, take a picture next to the Superman sign, and check out a little league game. I wonder if it effective.

The sign is posted at baseball fields and reads, Please Remember: 1. These are kids, 2. This is a game, 3. The coaches volunteer, 4. The Umpires are human, 5. You do not play for the Cardinals.

My daughter isn’t quite old enough to start playing, and I’m hoping she’s still a few years away from people taking it too seriously. I haven’t been to a lot of youth baseball games lately, but I’ve heard horror stories of adults behaving very poorly.

The sign got me thinking, what if I could use these same rules at church? What would they look like? It seemed like the sign on the left hit a nerve with a lot of people that participate in youth sports. I wonder if my sign will do the same with people that worship on a regular basis.

What the following was posted in your church, Please Remember: 1. We were all created in the image of God, 2. This is worship, 3. Visiting church is an act of courage, 4. Pastors are human, 5. You are not Jesus.

I love the Church. It can be a place of love, forgiveness, and hospitality. All too often it is not. What if this sign hung in our churches? Would it resonate? Would it make a difference?

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Filed under Christianity

Tagged as Baseball, church, meme, picture

June 2, 2012 · 6:49 pm

Sweat is fat crying

If this is true, then my fat is in a deep depression. Since February 15, I’ve lost about 40 pounds. In a week, I’ll be running in a 5K. In February, when I weighed 329 at the doctor’s office, I set the following goals to reach in June: weigh under 300, bench press over 300 and run a 5K in less than 40 minutes. As of today, I weigh 288. I stopped gaining as much strength when I started to really take off weight, so I don’t think I’ll get to bench 300. I’ve changed the way I eat. I’ve changed the way I workout. I’ve changed my life, and it feels good.

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Filed under Fitness

Tagged as exercise, meme, picture, weight

May 25, 2012 · 2:14 pm

Sometimes “Thank You” seems inadequate

I never served in the military, but thousands of men and women before me did. To them, I am forever grateful. Today I served at a funeral at the Rock Island National Cemetery. The Rock Island National Cemetery is on an island on the Mississippi River. When you cross the bridge you are greeted with a security gate that always has at least two uniformed guards. When they are told that you are there for service for a veteran or a veteran’s wife, they come out of the little kiosk, snap to attention and salute all the cars that drive by.

As we drove farther onto the island and then into the cemetery, anyone that we drove by stopped what they were doing and either gave a military salute or removed their hat and put their hand over their heart. Today, the island was particularly busy. Workers were all over the grounds preparing for Memorial Day. Every one of them paused as we drove by. I’ve done many services at national cemeteries before. All of them are emotional. Today though, was special. Flags lined the streets, and little flags were planted in neat rows alongside the stone markers.

When kids in my parents’ generation were graduating high school, they were thinking about going to Vietnam. When kids in my grandparents’ generation were graduating high school, they were thinking about going to Europe or Japan. When I graduated high school, I was thinking about going to a party to try and meet a girl.

Today I thought of the people I went to high school with that served in the military. They served for many reasons, and because they served, I didn’t have to. I wish I could say thank you to all of them. Today as I looked out at the lines and lines of markers, I said a prayer of thanksgiving. I thanked God for each of those markers, men, women, husbands, and wives that gave a part of their youth. They put everything on the line so that I could worship, speak, read, raise a family, pursue happiness, work for justice, and grow old in safety.

Sometimes “thank you” just seems inadequate.

Click here for another reflection on Memorial Day

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